JFK assassination

Almost every generation in U.S. history has had a defining moment or two - those times when you can remember for a very long time where you were and what you were doing when you either saw the event or got the news that it had happened.

For members of Generation X, that moment was the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger on takeoff on Jan. 28, 1986. For everyone older than 16 or 17 years old, the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, is another example.

For the Baby Boomers, it was the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. A popular president whose youth and young family had captivated the nation was gunned down while traveling to a speech in a motorcade in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963.

The president died that day, and with him went some of the innocence of a nation that was really just getting started in a Cold War with the communist Soviet Union.

This week - in the seven days leading up to the 50th anniversary of the assassination - many people will tune in to watch documentaries, dramatic portrayals and other shows dedicated to the man affectionately known as JFK. They will see shows that share details of Kennedy's presidency - both the triumphs and the fumbles. Shows will depict his relationship with his wife and with a nation. Shows will talk about the 46-year-old president's good decisions and his indiscretions.

And, of course, we'll all have a chance to see what transpired that led to the death of the nation's 35th president. No doubt, we'll even hear about some of the conspiracy theories surrounding the president's death. Was Lee Harvey Oswald a lone gunman? Or were there other, deeper, sinister actions in play that day?

It's interesting - perhaps even fun - to speculate. But we shouldn't miss the opportunity that comes with this milestone to reflect on the impact this action had on our nation. With the swearing in of Lyndon B. Johnson, the presidency changed, and with it came different priorities. And regardless of party affiliation, Americans grieved.

That's because people may not have liked Kennedy's policies, and they may not have liked the Democratic Party. But they respected the office of the president and the way that office is viewed around the world. In Kennedy's time, it was important for the nation to look unified to the Soviets, the Cubans and others. Today, it's the Middle East.

Democrats showed little to no respect for George W. Bush during his presidency. Republicans today show little to no respect for Barack Obama. Both men had flaws, but both were duly elected leaders of the United States.

Of course, neither was as popular as Kennedy was throughout the length of his nearly three years in office. And that's why people likely remember so well where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news.

So feel free to relive those times this week leading up to the anniversary. Ponder why Kennedy was so popular. And consider how the nation might have been different - for better or worse - had he not been killed that November day in Dallas.

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JFK assassination

Almost every generation in U.S. history has had a defining moment or two ? those times when you can remember for a very long time where you were and what you were doing when you either saw the event